Bilge pump



Jan. 7, 1947.

T. LANGAN 2,414,046

BILGE PUMP Filed July 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Thomas Lam Jan. 7, 1947.

T. LANGAN 2,414,046

BILGEZPUMP Filed July 17, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 4 I 4| 4 Z0 Z0 IrwQncor omens Lanc cm,

wam'fi I Patented Jan. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to deformable chamber pumps of the diaphragm type, and more particularly to the top construction thereof and the operating means for the diaphragm.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a manually operable pum capable of handling large volumes of water or other fluid where speed, simplicity in operation, compactness and ruggedness are of the essence. These requirements seem to congregate in the bilges of boats wherein all too frequently the bi1ge water is not noticed until it has become a demonstrated hazard.

To meet the above requirements, it is intended to provide a pump having, a low intake and delivery tube-like box, having intake and exhaust flap valves spaced therealong and operated in the same direction, a relatively large chamber above the tube-like box and positioned above the intake and exhaust flap valves, the chamber having a large actuatable diaphragm therein whereby, when the diaphragm is lifted upwardly to expand the chamber, the exhaust valve is pulled closed and water is driven under atmospheric pressure through the intake valve and when the diaphragm is driven down to compress the chamber the intake valve is closed and the water is driven out through the outlet valve. A more specific object of the invention is in providing a substan-- tially continuous chamber from the tube-like i box with the diaphragm chamber positioned so that the diaphragm chamber will have a direct pressure action upon the tube-like box chamber, thereby permitting the diaphragm to be actuated in short easy strokes without sucking air from the intake as the bilge water recedes towards the level of the intake opening. With this particular relationship, there is provided a diaphragm of flexible, preferably resilient material such as rubher, a reinforcing stiff central portion connected to the diaphragm, substantially centrally thereof, lugs upstanding from the reinforcing central por- .tion attachable to a crank arm wherein the crank arm is provided with two handle openings, one of said openings being capable of frictionally receiving an operating handle.

Still more specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an upper housing or casing for the diaphragm chamber having a well extending thereacross into which the crank arm is adapted to operate in order to provide a compact housing pump structure.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to permit the actuating handlefor the crank arm to, be

3' Claims. (Cl. 103-150) housed within thewell ofjthe upper diaphragm casing when the pump is inoperative so that the operated handle will not project upwardly from the pum casing.

This and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

Figure l is a and Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the pump.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figure 2 thereof, reference numeral I indicates a base framework adapted to support the pump in any suitable manner, while reference numeral 2 indicates a rectangular elongated hollow box, preferably formed of sheet metal, and having an open inlet 4 and an open outlet 5 therein. Annularly apertured plates 6 are secured to the box end for mounting threaded pipe sections 1, the pipe sections 1 being preferably welded to the apertured plates 6, as indicated, the threaded pipe fittings I permitting threaded engagement with inlet and outlet pipes or conduits which may be arranged to suit the needs of the particular problem.

Valve plates 8, comprising annular apertured rectangular plates of the same width as the box 2, but considerably longer than the height thereof are welded as at 9 to the top and bottom of the box 2, and so as to be inclined in the same direction. Apertures in formed in the plates 8 have Valve coverings therefor, the valves comprising flexible rubber discs II which are bolted as at I2 to the upper faces of the plates 8, the discs being sufiiciently larger than the apertures l0 so as to form a seat therearound. The rubber discs I I are weighted and reinforced by suitable discs 13 and M, the discs l3 and I4 being bolted to the rubber disc H as at 15.

The box 2 is provided with an opening in the upper wall thereof as generally indicated by reference numeral l8, which opening is positioned between the valves and extends directly into the lower portion of the diaphragm compartment. The diaphragm compartment is formed by a lower casing or shell 2!! which is Welded or otherwise secured in sealing relationship to the upper portion of he box 2. The shell 20 terminates in its upper portion with an annular flange 2| so that the lower shell 20 may be bolted to the upper shell 22, theupper shell also terminating at its lower portion in an annular flange 23. The flanges. 24 and are preferably bolted together at a pluraiity of spaced. points as. at 24,, such con, struction permitting a clamping action about the top plan view of the pump casing,

periphery of a flexible resilient rubber diaphragm 25. The diaphragm has bolted thereto, and on the under side thereof, a metallic disc-like member 26, and on the upper side thereof a disc-like member 21, the'two discs 26 and 21 being bolted to the flexible diaphragm 25 substantially centrally of the latter by means of suitable bolts 28. Cross bars 29 are secured to the inner portion of the lower shell 20 in any suitable manner so as to act as a bottom stop for the flexible diaphragm, the bars 29 being so positioned to contact the lower disc 26. The upper disc 21 is provided with a pair of spaced upstanding lugs 30, the lugs 33 having elongated, substantially horizontally extending lost motion slots 3! therethrough,

The driving means for the diaphragm includes a crank arm 32 pivoted by pin 33, the pin 33 being secured through plates 34 (see Fig. l) which plates 34 are secured to either side of a deep well 35 formed in. the upper shell 22. This well 35 extends substantially through the diameter of the shell 22 for reasons hereinafter explained. The lower end of the crank arm 32 is secured to the upstanding lugs by means of a cross bar 40, the cross bar extending through the elongated slots 3 l.

The upper portion of the crank arm 32 is provided with two cylindrical apertures 4i and 42 for the insertion of a crank handle'43. These apertures are offset from one another to a degree slightly less than ninety. The crank handle 43 may be secured within either of the cylindrical openings 4! and 42 by frictional engagement therewith or by means of a suitable cotter pin 44.

In operation, the handle 43 is preferably inserted in the cylindrical opening 42 of the crank arm 32 and is pulled back to rock the crank arm 32 about its pivot pin 33. During the initial stroke of the crank arm 32, the cross bar 40 will slide somewhat in the horizontally extending lost motion slots 3| formed in the upper portion of lugs 30. Thereafter, the lugs 30, together with the discs 21 and 25 will raise the flexible diaphragm 25. The vertical movement of the diaphragm is obtained through the free end of the crank arm 32 and partakes of an arcuate course because of the lost motion slots 3|. As the diaphragm is raised, the inlet valve is opened by bilge water or other fluid under atmospheric pressure and the outlet valve remains closed. When the handle 43 is rocked in the opposite direction to force the flexible diaphragm 25 downwardly, the diaphragm chamber is decreased in size and the intake water surges against the upper surface of the intake valve to drive the latter shut, simultaneously opening the outlet valve and, in turn, driving the bilge water or other fluid out through the discharge pipe.

When the pump is not in operation, the handle 43 may be removed from the cylindrical aperture 42 and is inserted within the cylindrical aperture 4|, the latter being so positioned relative to the crank arm 32 as to lie within the well and extend substantially parallel therewith. Thus, the handle 43 is substantially enclosed by the well 35, and lies fiat within the upper-shell 22 of the pump.

As will be obvious from the foregoing description and an inspection of the drawings, the present invention provides a simple compact pump, easily manufactured and formed of sheet metal, wherein its operation and maintenance are exceedingly simple and the outer contour and shape thereof attractive and pleasing in appearance.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 562,654, filed November 9, 1944, for Bilge pump, issued on August 14, 1945, as Patent No. 2,382,797.

I claim:

1. In a pump of the type described, passage means forming an elongated substantially horizontal passage having inlet and outlet openings therein, one-way valves operating in the same direction spaced along said passage, a chamber positioned above said passage, an opening in the upper portion of said passage means forming a continuation of said horizontal passage into said chamber, said chamber being formed of a rigid shell having upper and lower portions, the lower portion of said shell contacting the upper portion of said passage means and being secured thereto, a flexible elastic diaphragm extending substantially horizontally across said chamber and having its edges clamped between the upper and lower portions of said shell, means positioned in said shell adjacent the upper portion of said horizontal passage adapted to contact said diaphragm to act as a stop therefor for preventing the diaphragm from entering said horizontal passage, plate means secured to the upper side of said diaphragm, upstanding lugs on said plate means, means for reciprocating said diaphragm comprising a crank arm, one end of said crank arm being connected to the upper portion of said upstanding lugs through lost motion connection means, means pivotally connecting the other end of said crank arm to the outer edge of said shell, a handle for rocking said crank arm, and a well formed in the upper portion of said rigid shell into which the handle for rocking the crank arm is adapted to be housed when in inoperative position.

2. In a pump of the type described, passage means forming an elongated substantially horizontal passage having inlet and outlet openings at the opposite ends thereof, respectively, oneway valves operating in the same direction spaced along said passage, a chamber positioned above said passage, an opening in the upper portion of said passage means forming a continuation of said horizontal passage into said chamber, said chamber being formed of a rigid shell having upper and lower portions, the lower portion of said shell contacting the upper portion of said passage means and being secured thereto, a flexible elastic diaphragm extending substantially horizontally across said chamber and having its edges clamped between the upper and lower portions of the shell, a rigid reinforcing element disposed substantially centrally of said diaphragm, said reinforcing element comprising a ring positioned on the lower side of the diaphragm, means positioned in said shell adjacent the upper portion of said horizontal passage adapted to contact the underside of said ring to act as a stop for said flexible diaphragm to prevent said diaphragm from entering said horizontal passage, plate means secured on the upper side of the diaphragm and overlying the ring and secured to the latter, upstanding lugs on the plate means, means for reciprocating said diaphragm comprising a crank arm, one end of said crank arm being connected to the upper portion of said upstanding lugs through lost motion connection means, means pivotally connecting the other end of said crank arm to the outer edge of said shell. a handle for rocking said crank arm, and a well formed in the upper portion of said rigid shell into which the handle for rocking the crank arm is adapted to be housed when in inoperative posipositioned in said shell adjacent the upper port1on, tion of said horizontal passage adapted to contact 3. In a pump of the type described, passage the underside of said ring to act as a stop for said means forming an elongated substantially horiflexible diaphragm to prevent said diaphiagm zontal passage hav1n inlet and outlet openings 5 from entering said horizontal passage, plate at the opposite ends thereof respectively, onemeans secuieq on the upper side of the diaway valves operating in the same direction spaced phragm and overlying the ring and secured to along said passage, a chamber positioned above the latter, means for reciprocating said diasaid passage, an opening in the upper portion of phragm comprising upstanding lugs on said plate said passage means forming a continuation of 10 means, lost motion slots disposed generally horipassage means and being secured thereto, a flexi- 15 ing the other end of said crank arm to the outer tions of the shell a rigid reinforcing element disn the Crank arm 15 p d to be oused When posed substantially centrally of said diaphragm 20 in inoperative position. said reinforcing element comprising a ring posi- THOMAS LANGAN. 

